Kristen - Human Resources in Shanghai

Hello all, 

My name is Sai, and I also go by Kristen. I received my Bachelor’s degree from the School of Management at Fudan University in Shanghai, and just got my Master’s degree in Journalism. 3 months ago, I was interviewed for a Human Resources Traineeship at Evonik and was offered the position.

Many people might wonder why I would want to work in the HR department, since neither my undergraduate or graduate degree is related to human resources. In fact, the reason is quite simple. I was the assistant for our school’s curriculum for 2 semesters during my undergraduate years, which taught me that I enjoy communicating with others. In my opinion, HR acts as a mediator between the company and employees, and establishing the HR functions is also an important communication channel. The functions of HR teams at Evonik also indicate the company’s care and concern for its employees, in which respect I think Evonik is doing extremely well.

I have now started my rotation as an HR trainee, since I officially joined Evonik on Feb. 1, 2023, beginning with the System & Solutions team, for instance completing employees’ information by collecting their P files. And we are now gradually transferring information into Workday from the SAP system, which really takes a lot of effort and time! I am also participating in other projects and activities. For example, Evonik was ranked among the top 10 in the TOP employer China 2023 certification in January. So we held a small ceremony in the company’s cafeteria with gifts and cakes, which encouraged a lot of employees to join us and take photos. And a picture of our celebration was also featured on our intranet website. That’s really fantastic. And those various kinds of work not only enrich my own experiences, but also demonstrate the wonderful atmosphere in the company. Our colleagues on all the teams do meticulous work, but they are also very easygoing outside the office. They are willing to help me when I am confused, which I really appreciate. So I feel at home and I am very pleased to be a part of Evonik.

As I gain a deeper comprehension and understanding of the company, I find the philosophy of Evonik more and more appealing, since sustainability and long-term economic success are two sides of the same coin for Evonik. As a member of Generation Z, I also love the low-carbon lifestyle and prefer products with a good balance of economic, ecological and social factors. Evonik thinks and goes beyond the industry standard by enhancing the properties of its products, and that is really in demand these days.

As an employer, I believe Evonik does its best for the employees. The trainee program provides a two-year rotation for fresh graduates as well as the opportunity for an international assignment, which I think is crucial for the beginning of an employee’s career path. So I am really looking forward to making more discoveries, working in a completely new atmosphere, and learning more from a wider perspective.

Best regards, 

Kristen

On the students@Evonik blog, students, who work at Evonik, share their experiences about life and work in the company.